Then
Gideon and all the people that were with him rose up early. And God said to
Gideon, “The people that are with thee are too many, lest Israel say, Mine own
hand hath saved me.
“Now
therefore proclaim, saying, Whosoever is afraid, let him return.” And there
returned twenty and two thousand of the people.
And
the Lord said unto Gideon, “The people are yet too many; bring them down to the
water, and every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, him shalt thou
set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.”
And
three hundred men lapped, putting their hand to their mouth. And God said, “By
the hand of the three hundred that lapped will I save you.” So Gideon sent all
the rest of Israel back to their tents.
The
same night Gideon divided the three hundred men that remained with him into
three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers,
and lamps within the pitchers.
Then
Gideon and the men that were with him came unto the camp of the Midianites in
the darkness, and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers. And they
cried, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.”
And
all the host of the Midianites cried and fled. And the men of Israel gathered
themselves together and pursued after them.
Judges 7